


Chara's Tale

by Shadow_Ravena



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Chara, Character Death, Gen, Ghost Chara, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-03-28 10:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13901673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_Ravena/pseuds/Shadow_Ravena
Summary: What if Chara wasn't the first child to fall... but the last? What would be the story of "this demon that comes when called by name?"





	1. Once Upon A Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lone figure climbs up Mt. Ebbot, determined to run away, to hide... but what lengths will they go to get away?

A figure ran through the woods, brushing tears roughly from their eyes as they went along.  _I have to get away,_ they thought.  _I can't- I can't stay here anymore. I have to hide... maybe... there... I can hide..._

 

Everyone knew the tale of the mountain no one ever returned from. Only the foolish would try to come here, seeking adventure, honor, glory... retribution. 

Well, if you believed the legends.

Chara wasn't sure they did. A humongous monster who killed children and devoured their souls? It seemed preposterous. Even if they did have that video... but the creature just... left. It didn't mean harm... did it? And the older tales... far in history... of a war between monsters and prehistorical humans, a war leading to the monsters disappearance... well, it begged belief. 

One thing was true:  _no one_ returned from the mountain. It seemed cursed. Bodies were found later, always indicating some horrific accident... but still... people stayed away from the mountain now. It seemed safer.

 

 _The perfect place for a demon like me_ Chara though, rubbing their face on their sweater sleeve and starting to run again.

 

 

They ran up the mountain's side, slipping on the odd rock getting up, running anyways, tree branches lashing their face as they went. They didn't care.. They nearly fell many times, nearly fell into the odd gorges and pits that riddled the mountain, barely managing to jerk themself backwards as pebbles rattled down the cliffs.  _Probably how most people died_ they thought on the fifth near-miss. 

 _Hopefully I'll die too_ they thought. Then they thought, paused.  _Well..._

Something burned within them, pushing them onward. It wouldn't let them die, no matter how much they wanted to. They didn't know what to call it...

_It doesn't matter. If I can't die... then I have to escape..._

So they ran.

 

 

Eventually, they reached a cave, it's entrance overgrown with vines. They stopped, breathing heavily from their exertion. "I'll stay here..." they said. "A cave... good shelter... and maybe..."

Maybe it led to the monster den. They'd assumed the peak would, but on this old volcano? Who knew.

 

They pushed the vines aside, and walked into the cave. "Can't see a thing," they muttered, walking forward slowly.

 

They did think they could make out a dark shape farther back into the cave. "A spring?" they muttered, walking towards it. They'd almost reached the edge of it, when they realized it wasn't water- it was a hole.

 

 

They leaned over, looked down. Oddly enough, they could see... light...? at the bottom of it. "Magic light?" they muttered. "Or something else? Maybe... it's a door to another plane... a better one..."

They swayed back and forth on their feet, rocking on the edge of the hole. They closed their eyes, and thought.  _Maybe it's the monsters realm... maybe it's another place entirely... it won't be Heaven, not to a demon like me... but if it's Hell, it sure looks invited. I suppose... what do I have to lose?_

 

Part of them recoiled but none of them hesitated. They raised a foot, and plunged forward into the abyss below.

 

 


	2. Helpers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara wakes up to find themself still alive, someone. They strike out, and meet some friendly... and not so friendly... helpers.

Chara lifted their head, and blinked a few times. "I'm not dead?" they whispered. They weren't sure if they were glad or sad about this, but they pushed the thought aside. They sat u, and looked around.

They'd fallen earth, not rock like they'd expected, and around them were pillars from some long-abandoned building. Light shone down on them, red from the setting sun, and they looked up and saw a massive hole at the peak of the mountain. "Right, dormant volcano..." they muttered.

 

They stood up and brushed off their clothes as best they could. They looked down and chuckled. "Well, good thing I have  _brown_ pants. And the dirt just makes the shirt look like camo." Well, if camo was green and yellow stripes, but it'd worked okay so far. No one had spotted them walking towards the mountain, after all.

 

They took a deep breathe, and turned around. Outside the patch of light the earth went on for a bit, before turning back into stone, which eventually ran up to a rock wall. Chara tured round and round, and eventually spotted a passageway through the rock, though it was dark and gloomy. They shrugged. "No better place to go..." they muttered.

 

They walked forward, eventualy passing through an ornate, stone doorway they could barely see, and farther along the tunnel- hallway?- until they entered sunlight again, and another patch of soil.  _Dirt must fall down from the holes in the "ceiling"_ they thought, approching the dirt patch.

 

Curiously, there was a flower with a... face? The heck? "Who are you? they asked, as they approached the odd fauna.

"Howdy!" it replied. "I'm Flowey, Flowey the Flower! Hmm-"

"What kind of name is Fowey?" Chara asked, making the flower stop and blink.

"Why, my name of course!" it said in a cheery voice. It tilted it's head and added, "Golly, doncha know it's rude to interrupt?"

"Sorry there, taking out loud. So you're a monster?" they asked.

The flower grinned widely. "Yep! You must be new here! This is the UNDERGROUND, home to all monsters!" it paused, obviously expecting another interruption.

Chara simply nodded though, and said, "So the legends are true... so are soul-eating monsters true to?"

They weren't sure, but it looked like Flowey's face flickered to a maniacal smile for a moment, but then it went back to a wide smile, and the flower said, "Golly, no! We're friendly! Let me show you," it said, and suddenly, the world went black.

 

Chara looked around frantically, but the stone walls of the mountain were replaced by pure blackness. The only thing they could see was a white box surrounding them. They tried to run towards the box, but once their chest hit the line they bounced back, falling on the ground. "Oww," they said, rubbing their head. 

"Silly, you can't run from a batt- love session!" Flowey said. Chara looked back, and walked over to face the flower again.

 

"Love session," they said flatly. "How old are you Flowey?" 

Flowey made a face, then stared off into the distance for a moment. Chara tilted their head. It was a simple question...

"See that heart?" Flowey said suddenly, as though Chara hadn't spoke. "That's your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!"

Chara looked around, and not seeing a heart, looking down. On their chest was a pulsing, red heart. Chara put their hands around the heart, and to their surprise felt a warm energy radiating from it. "So that's a soul..." they muttered.

"Yep!" Flowey said, drawing Chara's attention back to it. "Your soul starts off weak, but it can grow strong if you gain a lot LV!" 

"LV? You mean level?" Chara asked, confused. In video games, that usually what lv stood for...

"No silly, LV stands for LOVE! You want some love, don't you?"

Chara just stared at the flower, and said deadpan, "No. Especially not from a creepy flower." 

Flowey  _was_ creepy, in Chara's opinion. The way it acted... talked... emoted... it felt... off. It was too cheery to be real.  _Maybe I'm being paranoid_ Chara thought.  _But I'd rather be safe than sorry_.

Chara had zoned out from Flowey's speech, but snapped back to attention when large orbs of white light surrounded them in a wide circle. "Move around! Get as many as you can!"

 

Chara frantically looked around, then dove for an opening  in between the orbs. Still, they felt one clip them, and cried out. "Funk, that hurt!" they shouted. They looked up at Flowey, who had the maniacal face on again. "You idiot!" it said. "In this world, it's Kill or BE killed. Why-"

But Chara didn't listen. If this flower meant to kill them... it. would.  _Die_.

 

Flowey stood outside the white box, but Chara had an idea. Reaching down, they picked up a large rock and charged forward, reaching their arms back. "-opportunity- what are you doing?!" Flowey shouted, as Chara hurled a stone right for their flower head. 

Right before it could crash into the ground, Flowey ducked beneath the soil. The rock thudded on the ground where it was a second ago, burying itself a bit into the soil.

 

Flowey popped up in front of the rock. "That's how you wanna play?" it said, summoning a wide circle of the orbs, spaced so closely Chara knew they couldn't escape. "Then DIE," Flowey said, laughing evilly while the orbs came closer and closer...

 

Suddenly, Chara felt their body grow stronger, and a second later Flowey was hit away by a fireball. Chara blinked, and looked over.

 

A goat woman- if their dress was any indication- walked into the black space. "What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth-"

"Uh, thanks for the help, but I'm not a "youth,"" Chara said, interrupting the woman. "I'm an adult. My name's Chara, what's yours?"

She looked surprised, but replied, "I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. It's a pleasure to meet you, my child. You are the first human to come here in a long time." She paused, perhaps for breathe, and Chara jumped in again.

"Ya, I know. They made this place illegal to come too since everyone keeps dying. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Chara said, their eyes narrowing. Toriel looked awfully similar to the video of the monster who terrorized the city...

Toriel blinked, then said, "Ah, let us not discuss that now. Come, I will guide you through the catacombs...." she said, the blackness slowly fading. Chara looked around- the flower was nowhere to be seen. Well, that was fine. 

They still had an enemy in front of them.

 

Chara drew their knife and pointed it at Toriel. "Answer my question, monster. Have you or have you not killed the humans who have come to this mountain?"

Toriel shook their head. "Put the knife away child, there is no need for violence here. No, I have not harmed any child who has come this way. I protect them, keep them safe. Now come. Let's go home," she said, turning around and walking away.

 

Chara put their knife back in their pocket and followed. They didn't trust this monster... but they would have to wait and see.

 

If she was just pretending like Flowey, they could always kill her.


	3. Obstacles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuing through the Ruins, Chara keeps finding themself beset with obstacles... of the physical, and monster, kind.

Toriel led Chara through a doorway, into a massive, purple room. Chara looked up and around- for whatever reason, this area was  _lit_ , despite having no opening to the surface. Was it magic...? In this place, that made the most sense.

Their eyes were drawn to a box made of red leaves on the ground, which they eyed narrowly.  _Nope, not getting trapped in that void again_ they thought. They didn't know if the box  _would_ trap them, but better safe than sorry...

Behind the box was two staircases leading up to a door, with a plaque over it. Chara climbed up, and tried to read the plaque... but couldn't make out the words clearly from the ground. But what they thought it said was, "Welcome to Home." Weird.

 

They passed through the doorway into a room with a closed door, and six grey stones arranged in two triangles on the floor. Toriel turned around and said, "Welcome to your new home, innocent one." Chara scoffed at this, causing Toriel to falter for a moment, before continuing, "Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins." 

She walked over to some raised stone, stepping on them. Chara realized after a second that they were pressure plates, and after four of them were indented Toriel went over to a switch on the wall, throwing it and opening the door. Chara raised an eyebrow.

"So this place is full of weird door puzzles?" they asked.

"Exactly!" Toriel replied. "The Ruins are full of puzzles, ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys." 

"And traps for any humans who fall down, hey?" Chara added. 

Toriel faltered for a second, then asked, "Why would you think that, child?"

"Because if you don't know the puzzle, and can't figure it out, you'd starve to death down here," Chara pointed out.

Toriel laughed. "That is why I check every day for humans! Don't worry child, I won't let you starve."

 

She turned and headed through the door, and after a moment Chara followed. 

 

They entered a large room with two channels of water running through it, yet more switches, and an opening blocked by chest-high spikes. Great.

"Let me guess," Chara said before Toriel could speak, "Press the switches to lower the spikes?"

"Exactly child! And do not worry, I have labelled the ones you need to flip."

Chara gave Toriel a look. "Exactly  _how_ young were the previous humans who came here? Were they all babies?"

Toriel chuckled softly and said, "They were all young, yes. Now go, flip the switches."

 

She walked off to the end of the hall, and Chara followed after a moment, flipping the two marked switches. To their irritation one was marked with a note to flip it, as though the arrows weren't obvious.  _She's sure condescending..._ Chara thought. 

As if confirming this, Toriel said, "Splendid! I am proud of you, little one."

Chara turned to face her, and said, "I'm not little, I'm not a child, I'm an adult. Please stop calling me one."

Toriel looked a little- disappointed- but said, "As you wish, young one." Chara looked to the sky and sighed. It didn't matter.

 

 

"Now, let us move to the next room," she said, walking through the choke-point. Chara followed, glancing around them. They had an eerie feeling that they were being watched. That flower... where had it gone?

 

The next room was small, and contained only a ratty sewing dummy. Chara looked at it, frowning. Now what?

"As a human in the Underground, monsters may attack you-" Toriel said, then Chara's head snapped up.

 

They drew their dagger and pointed it at Toriel again, saying, "So you will kill me," they said, glaring at Toriel. "Were you just waiting till we got to your 'home'?"

Toriel looked surprised, and said, "No no no! I would never harm you young one. Please put the knife away, there is no need for it here. Monsters may attack you, yes, and draw you into a FIGHT. But worry not! Simply strike up a conversation, and stall for time. I will come by to resolve the conflict."

 

Chara didn't put their knife down. "Why will monsters attack me. I've done nothing to them!"

Toriel bit her lip, and said, "You need not worry about that, child. Simply wait for me and you'll be safe."

"Bullshit!" Chara cried. "Why will they attack me?!"

 

Toriel looked away, and said in a hard tone, "We will discuss this later. Now, practice talking with the dummy," she said, walking to block the doorway.

 

Chara looked at the dummy, and walked over to it. Instantly, the world turned dark again, and they found themself surrounded again by the white box.

 

They stared at the dummy. Should they talk to it, like Toriel wanted? "That's moronic," Chara muttered. They checked it- yep, it was a dummy. A silly ditty came to their mind- A cotton heart and a button eye. You are the apple of my eye. Chara chuckled. 

They could just ignore it, not bother with it at all. And for awhile, that's exactly what they did. But as the minutes dragged on, they gave a frustrated sigh.

"Come on, this fight is stupid, let's just end it..." they muttered, then got an idea. The dummy was  _inside_ the box this time. Could they attack it...?

 

Curious, they walked up to the dummy and swung their knife at it. To their shock, the dummy shook and crumbled into dust. 

 

Chara stepped back, blinking. What just happened? Why did it turn to dust? That- that didn't make any sense! 

 

Toriel interrupted their thoughts. "Ahh, the dummies are not for fighting! They are for talking! We don't want to hurt anyone, do we...?" Come now," she said, walking away.

 

Chara followed her, calling out, "I- why did it turn to dust?" they asked.

 

Toriel ignored the question, and eventually said, "There is another puzzle in this room. I wonder if you can solve it?"

Chara just gave her a look. "These puzzles are easy," she said.

Toriel chuckled. "We shall see," she said, turning and walking off.

 

Chara followed, when suddenly a giant frog with a weird face on it's stomach bounded into view. Chara felt their soul get pulled forward, and the world turned black.

 

"Oh come on, not again!" they said, looking around. They were in another Fight.

 

Chara stared at the monster- it had to be a monster- warily. They readied their knife, but waited for it to move. They wouldn't attack something that hadn't threatened them... and so far this enemy had done nothing.

"Go away," Chara said. "I don't want to hurt you."

The frog did not respond. But, Toriel heard Chara and walked into the fight arena, glaring at the frog, who hopped away.

 

The world went back to normal, and Toriel silently turned around and walked off. "Wait, hold on!" Chara called at her. "What the hell was that? What  _was_ that?!"

"A froggit," Toriel called over their shoulder. "Many of them live in the Ruins. If they attack you again, remember, simply chat with them and I will come rescue you."

"Wouldn't have to if they were peaceful..." Chara muttered, but Toriel didn't seem to have heard.

 

They rounded a corner and Chara saw a long bridge covered in spikes. "This is the puzzle," Toriel said, "But... here, take my hand for a moment," she said, taking Chara's hand.

They jerked back instinctively, saying, "If you want to lead me, go ahead, but please don't touch me."

Toriel gave them a curious look, then said, "Very well, as you wish young one. Follow closely."

 

She walked near one of the spiked plates, and it lowered. Then she turned, stepped near another plate, which lowered as well. Chara saw the trick instantly, and followed behind Toriel. It wasn't a difficult puzzle, the spikes either lowered or they didn't. "I coulda done that myself," they muttered, but shook their head and looked up when Toriel said, "Puzzles seem a little dangerous for now."

 

Chara held up their hands. "Hold on. The puzzles here have been easy. It's the  _monsters_ I'm worried about. Why are they attacking humans?"

 

Toriel, again, ignored them and walked into the next room. There she turned to face Chara, saying, "You have done excellently thus far, young one. However... I have a difficult request to ask of you. ...I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself."

Chara just stared at her. "Are you actually serious?" they asked. "I'm capable of walking by myself! God, will you stop being so condescending?!"

Toriel looked down at them, and said slowly, "I am merely testing your independence my child. You see, I must attend to some errands, and you will be alone for awhile. Please remain here while-"

Chara cut her off. "No. No, I will not "remain here", while you run errands or otherwise. Why should I? What have I to fear so much?!"

Toriel looked off to the side. "The monsters may attack you," she said, "And I will not be there to protect you."

"Then why not take me with you?" Chara asked. "If it's really so dangerous. Why can't I come along?"

Toriel bit her lip. "It would not be wise to take you to Home..." she said.

Chara gave her a puzzled look. "I thought you said you  _wanted_ to take me home."

Toriel laughed. "No no young one, I mean the city Home! It's... the old capital of the Underground..." she said, trailing off.

"...so why can't I go to the city," Chara asked.

Toriel looked uncomfortable. "It would not be safe for a human to go into the city... and I would not want to cause unrest. Please, just remain here."

Chara glared at her. "No. I will not remain here, waiting for hours while you go shopping. First off that's absurd, second, what if more monsters come? Do you want me to just get slaughtered by them? I'll fight if I need to, but I rather find out why humans are being attacked and do something to stop it!"

 

Toriel's face grew hard. "You will be safe here, child, but you must wait patiently for my return-"

"Who is your leader," Chara stated. "Who is the ruler here. I'll go to them, get them to order monsters not to attack me. I'm not cowering here for the rest of time." 

Toriel shook her head, her red eyes hard. "You will not go. If you leave here- he- Asgore- will kill you. Now stay here like a good child."

"Why does Asgore want me dead? What harm did I ever do to him?!" Chara shouted.

Toriel turned away, and said, "Nothing. You've done nothing. That's why- please, just remain here, child."

Chara took a deep breathe and exhaled through their teeth. "I came to live here," they said. Toriel turned to face them, surprised. "To live," Chara repeated. "Not to hide, not to cower, not to constantly fight monsters. I refuse to follow you like a pet, and I refuse to be something's prey. If it's Asgore who I need to talk to, then fine. Take me to him."

Toriel shook her head. "No. I will not see another child die. If you truly insist on leaving... then I will stop you."

 

 

She turned, and started to walk away. Chara narrowed their eyes, then darted past her, twirling around and facing her with their knife. "I will not let you imprison me," Chara said, teeth clenched. "I don't want to fight you. But I will not stay here like a prisoner!"

Toriel stopped, and her eyes flamed red. "You are just like the others," she said contemptuously. "There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive."

 

And the world turned black.


	4. Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel and Chara face off, and only one of them will walk away from this... right?

Chara and Toriel faced off against each other, each person's face set, their eyes red. Chara's soul shone brightly, the light playing on their face and turning it blood red. They would not lose.

 

The time for words was done. Prove themself... yes. They would prove they could survive this deadly underground.

 

They ran forward, swinging their knife at Toriel. To Chara's shock, she stood there and tanked the hit, despite it clearly leaving a gash in her side. Chara jumped back, and waited.

Toriel raised her hand, and suddenly a giant magic hand appeared to Chara's left and right. Before they could move, the hands swung across in two arcs, trailing fire behinds them. Chara's eyes widened, and they made a dash to the left, and to their horror the fire started to trail them. They ran flat into the boundary of the box, and felt the fire scorch their back. They screamed, voice reverberation on the cavern walls.

 

 

Chara turned to look back at Toriel, eyes black. They gave an inhuman cry, and launched themself at Toriel. They slashed her across the neck, but Toriel didn't collapse. She stood stock-still, a bright white light surrounding her paws.  _No! I won't let you attack again!_ Chara thought, slashing her across the chest again.

Out of the corner of their eyes, they spotted fireballs starting to form at the boundary of the battle box- but not at the corner. They ran over there and stayed a little out, diving to avoid the fireballs that came near- and got hit by a fireball again. 

They roared, and ran straight for Toriel, dodging around the fire. Toriel looked at her, wide-eyed, as Chara leaped at her, sinking their knife into Toriel's head and slicing her down to her toes.

 

Chara stepped backwards, and Toriel collapsed to their knees. "Y... you... really hate me that much?" she said in a shaky voice. "Now I see who I was protecting by keeping you here... not you... but them! H.. a.. ha.. ha.." she laughed weakly.

 

Chara just stared down at her, eyes black and smile wide and dark. "You shouldn't have trusted a demon like me," they said, their voice hoarse and deep.

 

Toriel didn't respond, and her form started to waver. Then, suddenly, she collapsed into dust, and a small, white soul appeared.

 _If I am a monster... then it's my turn to steal souls!_ Chara thought, reaching out and grabbing it.

 

 

They stood stock-still for a moment, then from the depth of their being an cry started to build, and from their black mouth came a roar that echoed through all the Ruins. But as it continued on and on, it transformed from a demon's cry to the sobbing of a child.

 

Chara collapsed to the knees, their hands over their face and their mouth wide with screaming. They sobbed, they screamed, they crushed their skull with their hands. "No, no, stop, please, I'm sorry, I'm  _sorry_ , please- please!" they cried out, their voice catching and breaking at the violence of their cry.

 

In their very being they felt pain like they'd never known before, a searing white-hot pain that scorched their soul and turned it into ash. Chara screamed, and screamed, as their soul slowly turned from red to black, the fire of grief consuming their very being and destroying it.

 

They felt the pain of a millennia, more, of exile and fear; they felt the gorging pain of betrayal by those held most dear, they felt... they felt... the unspeakable, destroying grief of losing the blood of you blood, flesh of you flesh, soul of your soul... their beloved son.

 

Chara understood not what caused this pain, only the enormity of it, a grief so powerful it seemed to fill the world. 

 

And deeper than that, running below it, a grief born of guilt, of horror. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't want to kill her,  _I didn't want to kill her!!"_ they cried, beating their head to the punctuation of their plea. 

The pain that Toriel had, felt, knew; burned at them like a fire; but it was this guilt-filled grief that darkened their very soul.

 

Chara cried and cried for an unknown time, feeling the pain from Toriel fade as time passed, but their own grief grow. They repeated unintelligible a broken plea for forgiveness, forgiveness they knew would never come.

 

"Demon, demon, you fucking demon,  _how could you kill her? WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU?!"_ they cried, slamming their head with their hands over, and over, and over- but they couldn't knock themself out, they couldn't end the pain. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Toriel, I'm sorry, I never- I didn't want to kill you- I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" they wailed, but their plea fell on dead ears.

 

 

Eventually they looked over, at where Toriel's body had been, and saw sitting in the dust- their knife. An idea flickered into their mind. "I can't- I can't bring you back. But maybe- if you die for real- you'll have peace. I'm sorry- I'm sorry- I'm sorry!" Chara said, picking up their knife, and with a shaky hand, driving it directly into their soul.

 

 

* * *

 

Time slowed to a crawl. Chara felt their body collapse face-first into the knife, the dust, felt their body slowly bleed out and die. A few moments seemed like eternity, and slowly a new horror dawned on them. They weren't dead.  _They weren't dead._

 

But they were. They tried to move their body and couldn't. Their body had ceased breathing, their heart had creased beating, and what was left of their mind was slowly dying of oxygen starvation. They felt every minute change, every bit of new pain.

 

_This... this isn't what I wanted. This isn't what I wanted! Why- why didn't I die?!_

 

But somewhere deep inside, they knew. Their innate will to live. Their determination to survive. That prevented them from dying all those years ago... and now.

 

_I just- I just wanted to end her pain. End MY pain. Why- why can't I have that much?!_

 

But suddenly, something distracted their thoughts. The sounds of something coming closer... closer... but it was weird. It was... popping?

 

"Well, this is new!" a cheery voice said, and Chara's felt a wave of horror wash over them as they recognized the voice.

 

Flowey.

 

"Well, this one's different!" they said. "I've  _never_ seen a human kill themselves before! And their soul... where is it..."

A jolt ran through Chara as they felt something pick them up and turn them over. They saw vines retreat, and Flowey next to them, peering at their body. With a jolt of surprise they realized they _could_ see, and it wasn't- it wasn't from their eyes. It was... from the knife? 

"Knife to the soul, how quaint!" Flowey said, then clucked it's... tongue...? "I was hoping for some originality! Ah well. This is my first time getting a human soul since Frisk," it said, giggling.

 

Chara's non-existent eyes widened. Did it just say  _Frisk?!_

_This creature... THIS is what killed Frisk?! This demonic flower?! But- it was a goat? This doesn't make any sense!_

 

They didn't have time to figure it out. Flowey had wrapped a vine around the knife, and slowly eased it free. And impaled in the center- Chara's still beating soul.

"Black? I've never seen a  _black_ soul before!" Flowey said, surprised. Then it giggled, and said, "Well, it doesn't matter! Just need to pry the soul free..." it said, slowly moving a vine towards Chara's soul.

 

 _No!_ Chara thought.  _No, I won't let a monster like you take my soul!!_

 

They concentrated all their power of the soul, mentally shoving it to the side. To their shock, the knife shot to the side, then floated in mid air.

 _What?_ Chara thought, looking up and down. Yep, they were a floating knife now.  _Am I... am I a ghost? A ghost possessing a knife?!_

It... seemed like as good an explanation as any.

 

But they didn't have time to think. Flowey looked enraged, and suddenly said, "What, you're  _alive?_ You just never give up Frisk! Well this time-  _stay dead!!_ " Flowey said, shooting his vines out.

 

Chara dodged to the side, the knife wavering in the air, bobbing and weaving.  _Come on, stay stable! I need to run! I need- I need a body back! I'm a ghost, right?! So form a body!!_

To their shock, the air started to shimmer around them, and a translucent version of their body formed, the knife held in their right hand. Chara looked down- their eyes were in the right place now.

"Huh, I didn't know you could do that Frisk! You shoulda told me! But then again- you usually reload by now. So let's reload!" Flowey said, maniacally laughing.

 

Then it's face turned puzzled, then annoyed, then furious. "Why- why- why can't I reload?! You- you have more determination than me?!"

 

Chara was taken aback. Reload? Determination? What did the flower mean? "What do you mean reload?" they asked.

Flowey just looked annoyed. "You know, reload! Undo your death! Go back in time! Come on Frisk, don't play stupid!! If I can't do it, then you have to!"

Then Flowey gave a wicked smile, and said, "But you're not Frisk, are you? You'd never kill good old mom, wouldya? It's this new human- ha, finally met your match weakling?!"

Chara felt a pang of anger, and placed their hand over their soul. This fury... it wasn't their's... it was... Toriel's? "Listen you sociopath, Toriel doesn't much like your talk, so quit it!!" 

Chara themself didn't care  _what_ the flower said about Frisk, but they... they felt they owed it to Toriel to make her happy, however they could. 

 

Flowey looked confused. "Toriel's dead, stupid!"

Chara clenched their soul, and said, "No, she isn't. She's... she in me now."

Flowey's eyes widened. "You- you- you  _absorbed her?!_ Ha.. ha... hahahaha!" he went off in gales of laughter, an eerie sound that made Chara shiver.

Eventually he stopped, and said, "Oh, this  _is_ fun! I can't wait to see how this turns out! Human- Chara was it? You're so much fun! I never could have predicated  _that!_ Hey!" it said, eyes shining. "Reload. Reload, pretty please? I wanna see if she comes back!" then it started to laugh, and laugh, and laugh again.

 

Chara seethed, and eventually they shouted, "Shut. Up!" and made if to throw their knife, remembering just in time to hold on. But a red knife shot out from it anyways, as though their anger had been made manifest. 

 

Flowey was laughing too hard to notice, until the knife struck it and vanish. "OW!" he cried. "How did- how did you do that?!"

Chara just bobbed up in down in the air, their eyes red. "I don't know. But it seems I can do attacks like you monsters now. So if you don't want to be slaughtered...  _LEAVE!"_ they shouted, their voice deepening to a demonic roar.

 

Flowey looked genuinely afraid for a second, then it's face rearranged into a look of glee. "Well golly, this  _is_ interesting! I'll enjoy this! Have fun human- and Frisk, if you're here, I hope you enjoy this show as much as I do!" and with a final laugh, it popped back underground.

 

 

Chara watched for a moment to make sure it was gone, then they collapsed again, their shadow form fading. Inside their mind, they curled up into a ball.  _Now what do I do..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the curious, I do have reasons for why Chara is a ghost...
> 
> First off, we know human souls persist after death. Second, we know a person's "essence" can bind to an object- Ariel to the flower, for example. Third, we know from the coffin line that Chara was somewhat alive or aware after their body died and soul got absorbed.
> 
> What I think happened was that when Asriel/Chara died and their dust spread over the garden, it also spread over Chara's body. Chara's soul, still holding part of Asriel's power and abilities, gained the essence ability as well. So when the dust spread over Chara's body, Chara's soul attached to where their essence was. 
> 
> In this canon, Chara's body died, but their soul persisted after death. Since they had Toriel's soul, they gained the essence ability- and their essence went into the knife, binding Chara's soul to the knife.
> 
> Why the knife and not their corpse? Mostly cause their soul was skewered on the knife. Also partially because of Chara's self-hatred which made them more affectionate to their knife than their actual body. (The spread over their favorite object seems to indicate that that plays a part in the fusing). 
> 
>  
> 
> Anyways, TL;DR: Chara has the ability to turn into a ghost, gained the ability to fuse with what their 'essence' is spread over, in this case their knife.


	5. Shatter

Chara curled farther into themself, the outer world fading away.  _Stupidworthlessdemonfreakmonster..._ the words swam through their mind like little sharks, ready to tear their heart apart. Inside the knife, their soul ached, the blackness creeping inward, the very core of it starting to turn dark.

_StupidfreakuselessworthlessdieDieDIE_

Chara had no hands to clap over their ears, no head to bang against the wall, to make the voices disappear. They had nothing, nothing but knife and soul, their bloody knife and corrupted soul.

They could still feel Toriel's immense grief, and with little surprise a new emotion: anger. Anger at what Chara did, anger as...

As she realized that Chara was far more than LOVE 1.

 

Chara's breathe hitched, their  _mind_ hitched, and they started sobbing again, their phantom cries echoing from their knife.  _Im sorry Im sorry Im sorry_ they cried, knowing it was useless, knowing theyd never be forgiven.  _I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone, I never meant to KILL anyone!!_

 

But no amount of "sorrys" would change what they had done.

 

The images came unheeded, broken bodies at their feet, the sound of screams from the people around them, the look of the officers when they saw what could loosely be called human, loosely be called corpses. 

 

 _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry_....

 

But they felt the judgement still, from the goat mom who'd do anything to protect the people she loved, and from their own self, horrified and disgusted by their actions.

 

_If I just... if I thought... if I just died WHY CAN'T I DIE!_

 

Dying seemed the only way to stop hurting people, but they weren't even allow that. They'd tried, and tried, and it never worked, it never stuck... something always held them back.

 

Their sobs grew louder as they thought more and more, saw the broken bodies and broken faces of the ones they had destroyed. Guilt wracked them, but hopelessness too.

 

_I ran away to STOP this, to STOP killing people, why am I still murdering everyone?! Why can't I just- stop?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!?_

 

But they knew the answer to that already, it was plain as the nose on their dead face: they were a demon. A monster.

 

_I should... I should never have been born..._

 

But even to their own ears that sounded weak. They should have made something good of their life,  _done_ something good with their life.

 

Instead they'd only harmed. All they'd ever done was harm others.

 

_I'm sorry... I'm sorry..._

 

A meaningless whine that echoed through the ages. 

 

They knew sorries were meaningless, knew they had to  _do_ something to earn their redemption... well...

 

 _Hell awaits a demon like me..._ they thought. They accepted it without any fear, only tired resignation.

_I need... I need to die... I need to stop... stop hurting everyone... stop being the demon everyone calls me..._

 

The question was... how.

 

 

...a flash of anger ripped through them. They focused on it, found to no surprise that it was Toriel's, and probed it. Suddenly, a flash came to mind: a giant goat-king, six souls in jars, an image of war.  _What... I don't... I don't understand..._

 

Toriel didn't or couldn't clarify. 

 

...and Chara didn't care.

 

 _I just want to sleep..._ they thought.  _I just... just want this to end...._

 

But Toriel's anger didn't fade, if anything, it grew more intense. Chara just curled up deeper, accepting the anger, the hatred, without reservation. They already hated themselves more than anyone ever could. 

 

 

...eventually, a thought crossed their mind. Soul. Souls. The King had six. Was he collecting them? Making an army of super-monsters?

 

...that was it, wasn't it. Toriel didn't want him to get their soul.

 

Chara gave a strangled laugh. They'd already tried dying.

 

....but what if their  _soul_ shattered? Would that... would that be enough?

 

 

They summoned the ghost form, and held their soul in their hands. They didn't know if it would work... but... if their soul was a problem... if their life was a problem... if their existence was a problem... they had to try.

 

 

They gripped the two sides of their soul and pulled... only for their hands to just come away as though they weren't... real...

 _No... no, come on, this has to work...._ they thought. 

They tried again, but the same result. It might as well have been air pulling. 

 

The anger got worse, and with it, contempt. Chara just sank to their knees, head buried in their hands. They cried, or sobbed at least, though no tears came down their face and no breathe left their lips.

 

 _How can I... I can't even die properly, and now my soul's going to be taken and used to destroy the world!_ Even if... if the king didn't... wouldn't Flowey? That flower had tried to take their soul before... would it again? 

 

_Failure... failure... you stupid failure, you stupid fuck... can't even die properly..._

 

The thoughts started to swarm again.  _StupiduselessworthlessdemonfailuremonsterburdenstupidfuckdieDieDIE_

 

...slowly, ever so slowly, they felt themself start to slip away... they opened their eyes, and looked down at their soul. It was still black, but even dimmer than before, like the light in it was dying.  _I- is my desire to die killing my soul....?_

 

No, that didn't feel true. Than what-

 

It hit Chara like a ton of bricks. Their guilt. Their anger. Their hatred, towards self and humanity. That was destroying their soul. Wasn't that a common story trope, that hatred corrodes the soul? What if... it were true.

 

Chara smiled. This would be easy then.

 

They closed their eyes and focused on every wrong thing they had ever done, every fit, every fight, every murder. The images came, faster and faster, and the voices grew, louder and louder.  _DemonfreakmonsterhorribleworthlessdiemonsterdiedemondieDieDIE!!!_

 

And slowly, their soul turned into a lifeless lump, and crumbled away into dust...


	6. Second Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dying but not dead, Chara thinks over their life, and makes a decision...

Darkness.

 

...and pain.

 

They felt like they were crumbling into dust and blowing away, their very being dissappearing into the abyss.

 

_Is this what Hell's like? This loneliness, this pain? This feeling of remorse? Of anger?_

 

So much of them just wanted to sleep. But there was a spark in them, a little flame that flared up.

 

 _I don't want to die like THIS_.

 

Chara was surprised by this revelation- hadn't that been exactly what they wanted? To finally die, to finally disappear?

 

 _Yes_ the voice replied  _but not like this. Not by being a fucking COWARD. If you're going to die, at least make it MEAN something!_

 

Wasn't that why they had left in the first place? Isn't that why they'd run away? They didn't want to just die in prison like everyone else... what would that accomplish?

 

... no, that wasn't true.

 

It's because they were afraid they'd never die.

 

"Every time I try, it fails," they whispered to the void.

 

They drowned, and found their body on the shore. They cut their throat, and woke to find it scabbed over. They jumped in front of a car, and bounced off it like a ragdoll.

 

Everything they'd tried had failed.

 

And they didn't particularly want to be electrocuted over and over again.

 

 _I didn't want to die... not like that... whatever it is that's keeping me alive... I don't want it make me relive my death over, and over, and OVER again_.

 

... but it wasn't just that.

 

_I don't want to just be another insane murderer. I don't... I don't want to die, having the only thing I've ever done is make people miserable._

_I don't want them to WIN._

 

"...that's just the devil talking to you..." "...only psychopaths picture people dying..." "...if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be sick..."

If you weren't alive, everyone would be happy.

 

Hadn't they heard that their entire life?

 

...they were right, but...

 

The anger flared up again.  _They never gave me a chance_.

 

All they'd ever been told is that they were evil. They had just smiled, and replied, "If you would call me evil... then let me be evil."

 

And they'd gone on their merry way, living their life... 

 

Little Chara, pulling the legs off spiders. Little Chara, planning their sister's murder. Little Chara, exploding over the tiniest thing, again....

 

...having an attack, again...

 

Chara frowned, and started to tug at their shirt, only to realize they had neither clothes nor body. Disconcerted, they pushed the thought away, and thought instead,  _They call me demon for good reason... for what child throws a fit at the smallest thing... fits that always ended with something getting hurt..._

 

A classmate's broken lip. The angry welt on their mother's head. The terror in the eyes of their sister, after another play-session turned bad. Again. And Again. The blackness came, overwhelmed them.

 

And they couldn't stop it.

 

A image of Toriel flashed in their mind, of them brutually murdering her.  _Even here... even here, I lose control...._

 

Anger consumed them, and they thought,  _Why the hell can't I just be normal? What the fuck is wrong with me?!_

 

And in that moment, they decided.  _I'm stopping this. I'm SICK of just being a demon. I'll find a way to redeem myself._

 _Or I'll watch the world BURN_.

 

They gave a sharp nod. It was decided. They would go back- they would run no more. They would find a cure for their condition...

_Or if I am evil... **t h e n  l e t  m e  b e  e v i l**._

 

A red soul pulsed in the void, energy flashing off it in waves. And from far away, a voice rumbled,  _Frisk, you have to stay determined!_

 

And the world turned white...

* * *

 

 

Chara woke, their eyes flashing red. They sat up, and looked around.

 

Cold, stone walls surrounded them. Sunlight shined down from above, and they could hear the wind whistling far above. "I'm back," they murmured. 

 

They looked down, expecting to see their lap, and instead they saw... their feet?!

 

Chara jumped up, and with horror realized that they were  _floating_. "I'm still dead?!" they whispered, looking around frantically, then back down at their body.

 

It lay there, and Chara saw now a wound on their chest, piercing their very heart.  _The knife... where is... wait..._

 

Their non-existent eyes widened.  _They were the knife_.

 

They looked down at themselves more closely, and saw the glimmer of the steel blade that made up their body. Only the blade had turned a crimson red...  _The same color as my soul_ they thought numbly.

 

They tried to take a deep breathe, then panicked as they realized they weren't breathing, they couldn't breathe,  _they couldn't breathe!!_

 

They shook for a moment, their thoughts racing frantically, until slowly they got a grip on themself.  _Calm down Chara. You're a ghost now, you don't need to breathe_.

 

They closed their eyes- metaphorically speaking- and pictured their ghost-form in their mind. They could see it, themself as they once were, a small child with green-and-yellow sweater and brown pants. They were holding their knife, not to kill, but to protect- protect themself from the horrors of the world.

 

They opened their eyes, and looked down to see themself gripping their knife. They smiled. "I can manage this,"they muttered.

 

They took one last look at their destroyed body, then turned to face the cavern exit. "Next stop, King Asgore."

If anyone could tell them what they needed to know, it would be the King. And if he couldn't help, well...

They could always force him to find out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, how does resetting work in Undertale:
> 
> You reset to where you body IS when you DT is ACTIVE.
> 
> For Flowey, this is: the garden (where his dust is) when he got injected with DT.
> 
> For Frisk, this is: their body, when they enter the Underground (which activated the magic of their DT) or where they save.
> 
> For Chara, this is: where their body is, when they enter the Underground.
> 
>  
> 
> But WHAT do you reset as?
> 
> Whatever has your essence and DT.
> 
> For Frisk, this is easy: their body.
> 
> For Flowey, it's more complicated. See, the whole patch of the garden has his essence (hence why he resets there), but only the single flower has his DT. Hence, he resets AS the flower, instead of just being. A patch of sentient flowers.
> 
> For Chara, it's similar. Remember when I said their essence entered the knife? Well, it STAYED like that. Their soul, their DT, their essence; all bonded with the knife. So, that's what they reset as.
> 
>  
> 
> TL;DR: Chara basically turned themself into Flowey, only with a knife.


	7. Fresh Start?

Chara strode forward, and soon came to the room Flowey was in, and paused. They had a million questions. But getting Flowey to talk without attacking....

 

They thought for a moment, then realized something. Flowey had trapped them before in a fight... but couldn't Chara do the same thing? If it was trapped... maybe it would talk.

 

It was worth a try. Chara didn't know how monsters initiated battles, but it could just attack and see if that worked....

 

They raised their knife, and made to throw it.

...

Nothing happened.

 

Chara stared at the blade, and made the motion again. Still nothing. "Come on," they muttered, "Work!"

They were able to do magic before, why not now?!

They tried again and again, and frustrated, eventually closed their eyes and focused all their energy on the blade, then mentally "threw" that energy forward.

 

They felt their ghost form disappear and themself fly forward, and they barely managed to get control of their knife body back enough to slash at Flowey, instead of just flying into it.

 

Flowey shrieked and ducked, reappearing out of Chara's reach. When it did, it stuck it's tongue out at them. "Aw, is that any way to greet an old friend?~" it said with a wink.

Chara just glared at it. "I'm not your friend. But I guess I'm a pal-and one with limited patience. So tell me Flowey- how the hell do you remember me and just  _what_ is reloading?"

Flowey just tsked. "So impatient. Just like me!" it said, giggling. "Well friend," it said, tilting it's head, "If you want to know, you'll just have to do something for little ol' me!"

Chara just stared at Flowey. "Like what?" they asked, deadpan. "Kill someone?"

Flowey laughed. "So suspicious! Nonono, much simpler! See, King Asgore? I want you to go meet him! Then I'll spill the beans~"

Chara stared, squinting their eyes. "So go meet the King. That's it?"

"That's it! Anything for a friend," Flowey said with a fake-cheery grin.

Chara nodded. "Right. Friend. And that's why you tried to kill me, right?"

Flowey laughed. "Oh that? That was just me having fun! But you- you're so much  _fun!_ I thought you'd be like Frisky, all quiet and boring! But you Chara, I can't predict ya! So you get a pass for now," it said, sticking it's tongue out. 

"Aaannddd Toriel roasting your ass has nothing to do with it?" Chara asked.

Flowey chuckled. "Oh, I'm not worried about her. Then with an evil smile it added, "But YOU should be!" 

And it dissppeared into the dirt.

 

Chara just floated for a minute and thought. What did Flowey mean? They didn't intend to fight Toriel again...

Chara blinked. "What if... everyone retains memories from before?" they muttered. The thought scared them- if that was the case...

Something Toriel had said, about keeping Chara from getting to the King... "I wonder if that's what she's doing..." they muttered.

If that was the case, they had no time to waste.

 

Taking a deep breathe, Chara went on. 

 

When they entered the first switch room, they went to press one of the tiles... and fazed right through it. They stared at their foot, now half-embedded in the ground. "What," they said deadpan. Then with a frustrated gesture, they said, "Oh come on! How am I supposed to get through here?!" 

 

They turned to the door and cocked their head. Maybe... 

 

They floated over to it, and started to go through it... then found they couldn't. "What..."

They looked back, and said that their knife hadn't fazed through with them. Chara looked up at the ceiling and groaned. "Oh come  _on!_ Either let me be a ghost or not!"

They tried to jerk themself through, but found no sucsess. Eventually they gave up and walked backwards, into the tile room.

 

They looked down at their knife and glared. "Oh, so  _you're_ solid, but  _I'm_ not, cause that makes a ton of sense!!!"

Well, they  _were_ a ghost... but it still frustrated them.

 

In anger they threw the knife at the offending tile, and to their surprised it actually indented. Chara blinked for a moment, then smiled. "There we go!"

They used the knife to press down on the other tiles, and then to pull down the switch. It was a bit awkward, as they had to hold the blade itself- expecting all the while to start bleeding- but at least it worked.

 

They passed through the door in the next room, and smiled when they saw the spikes. "Well, being a ghost has  _some_ advantages," they said, floating right over the spikes. 

 

The dummy they choose to ignore, having no reason to talk to it or fight it now. They passed by without any incident.

 

They didn't have as much luck in the next room, as like before, they ran into a Froggit. Chara braced themself as battle began, thinking, _Now that I'm a ghost, I wonder how this'll go..._


End file.
